Apparatus for dispensing and inverting food packages



W. W. CEASE Aug. 23, 1966 APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND INVERTING FOODPACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jriginal Filed Feb. 18, 1963 INVENTOR.777/l1'am 7K 6e use A TTORNEYa W. W. CEASE Aug. 23, 1966 APPARATUS FORDISPENSING AND INVERTING FOOD PACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original FiledFeb. 18, 1963 I I 1 r I I I I I r I I 1 1 [III I I I I 1 I INVENTOR 7111/1270? 77; Ce use ATTORNEYS W. W. CEASE Aug. 23, 1966 APPARATUS FORDISPENSING AND INVERTING FOOD PACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original FiledFeb. 18, 1963 ATTORNEYS Aug. 23, 1966 w. w. CEASE 3,

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND INVERTING FOOD PACKAGES Original Filed Feb.18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 q /fiw/w W. W. CEASE Aug. 23, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Feb. 18, 1963 i2; o WC ,m 04mg) m T .I J wm 6 I. I MHMMWE FHWHM m ,4 ron NE Y6 United States Patent 3,268,102APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND INVERTING FOOD PACKAGES William W. Cease,Fredonia, N.Y., assignor to Cease Central, Inc., Dunkirk, N.Y. Originalapplication Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,153. Divided and thisapplication Apr. 29, 1965, Ser. No.

2 Claims. (31. 214-314 This application is a division of applicationSerial No. 259,158, filed February 18, 1963.

This invention relates to the handling and dispensing of food portionsor servings as in restaurant operation, catering, commissaries and likeenterprises, and in vending machines.

I have found that food servings which are previously prepared and whichare to be heated for serving, as in the case of frozen dinners merely byway of example, are advantageously retained in upside down position in acontainer or receptacle up to the time of serving and then inverted inthe operation in which the food is deposited on a serving plate or dish.

By packing or preparing the food portions in inverse order and thusturning the same over during final dispensing, sauces, juices, andsimilar liquid or semi-liquid components or dressings are deposited ontop of the more solid food components just prior to serving, thusdelivering the food serving to the consumer in a most attractive andappetizing form and one which has a freshly prepared appearance anddelivers the food in the best condition for consumption.

Certain basic principles of this food packaging and dispensing procedureand of the packages themselves are disclosed in my copending patentapplications, Serial No. 220,517 and Serial No. 220,518, both filed onAugust In general the above principle of handling and dispensing foodembraces food packages which may take various forms but which compriseessentially a food containing element in which the food may be frozen orintroduced in frozen condition or may merely be deposited in individualservings prior to the dispensing operation described herein. A secondessential element is a serving plate or dish which, in the food packageprior to dispensing, is disposed over the container element to serve asa cover and, upon final inversion, receives the food from the container.

The container element may comprise a holder with one or more individualcontainers supported therein or thereby or may comprise a single unitarydevice having one or more food receiving compartments 0r wells. Thecontainer and plate elements are preferably provided with interfittingor locating means for retaining the same against axial displacement andsuch means may be integral with the container and plate elements or maycomprise .a third intermediate frame .or band element.

In addition to the fact that individual container and plate elements arearranged for accurate relative lateral location with respect to eachother, means may be provided, in some instances, whereby a verticalseries or stack of packages are self-aligning by reason of interfittingformations at the top of one package and the bottom of a package restingthereon.

The present invention provides apparatus for receiving a stack or stacksof food packages, for automatically advancing the same to a dispensingzone, inverting each package when it is to be dispensed to transfer thefood from the container element to the serving plate element, moving theplate element to a position for delivery, and disposing of :thecontainer element. In addition, means tions.

3,268,102 Patented August 23, race are preferably provided for vibratingthe container element to provide an agitating or stirring effect togravies, sauces and the like as well as to promote transfer of thecontents of the container to the plate upon inversion.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the general apparatus of thepresent invention will appear to those skilled in the art from aconsideration of the typical embodiment of the present inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the ensuingspecification.

The apparatus of the present invention may assume various mechanical andphysical forms and may be adapted to various manual, automatic,semi-automatic and coin-operated uses. A complete embodiment of onemechanical form of the apparatus of the present invention is set forthherein to exemplify the principles of the invention but it is to beunderstood that the scope of the invention is not limited thereto norotherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of one form of the food handlingapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a general cross-sectional view taken on a .plane through theapparatus of FIG. 1 from front to back-thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken similarly to FIG. 2but on an enlarged scale and showing the lower ends of the stackarrangements and the inverting and delivery mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 shownafter inversion and illustrating the means for moving service platesfrom the inverter;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view on a horizontal plane through one ofthe two units comprising the apparatus .of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken approximately on theline VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately on the lineVIIV.II.of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the packagesup-porting devices .of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through .one ofthe package transfer devices of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 10 isua cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 but showing amodified form of package retaining means for separating service platesand containers.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawing and referring particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral10 designates a cabinet which houses two side-by-side .dispensing unitswhereby two separate food servings or food serving combinations may beselectively dispensed or, if desired, the two units may contain the samefood servings or combina- As many of these dual units as desired may bealigned as indicated :by the dot and dash lines in FIG. 1.

Each of these units comprises a storage portion for a substantial numberof like food .serving packages or food serving combination packages,means for successively feeding or advancing such packages, an invertingzone to which individual meals or servings are delivered one by one fromthe-storage portion where the package is inverted and preferablyvibrated, and a final delivery space which isaccessible to a patron orother person for removing the food serving or the like from theapparatus.

In FIG. 2 one of the four units is shown .in longitudinalcross-sectional elevation and the storage portion is designated 15, theinversion space 16 and a delivery space 17. As shown in FIG. 1, thecabinet 10 is provided with a front door 18 for access to the twostorage portion units for loading the same with food packages orservings.

Reference will first be had to the means for storing a plurality of foodpackages or servings and for delivering them one by one to the invertingspace, with reference particularly to FIGS. 3, and 6, the latter being alateral cross-sectional view through the storage portion.

An individual food package is shown generally at 20 in the drawings andit is to be understood that various forms of food packages may beemployed in the present apparatus as generally outlined in the preamblehereto.

In the form shown herein merely by way of example, each package 20comprises a container 21 and an overlying inverted food serving plate24, the upper edges of the container 21 being adapted to locate theplate 24 laterally thereon. In variant forms the container 21 may haveseveral food containing wells therein, instead of only one, and thewells may be insertable in the container and removable therefrom. Thisrepresentative form of food package is shown and described in greaterdetail in my above-mentioned copending patent application, Serial No.220,517, filed August 30, 1962, and particularly in FIGS. 1 through 9thereof. In the present instance the containers 21 have marginal flanges25 by means of which the packages are engaged and supported in thepresent apparatus. 7

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the two units of thestorage portion contains means for supporting individual packages in twovertical tiers or stacks in such manner that the packages of the reartier are successively lowered to a point where they may be movedhorizontally forwardly from the storage portion to the inversion space16. In the present instance the forward tier of packages comprises areserve tier which is moved into the rear tier position when all of thepackages have been dispensed from the latter.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, vertically extending chain and sprocketdevices 30 are disposed at opposite sides of the rear tier portion ofeach of the two units of the storage space, there being a pair of suchchain and sprocket devices at each side, one at the front of the reartier portion and one at the rear. Certain of the links of front and rearchains at each side of the unit are connected by a series of rods 34 andsupport members 35 of angular cross-section are pivotally suspended fromthe rods 34 as at 36. Thus an aligned pair of angle members 35 atopposite sides of the unit provide support for the flanges of a foodpackage 20.

It is to be understood that the inner or facing portions of the chainsat opposite sides of a unit move downwardly to lower food packages andthe outer or remote sides of the chains move upwardly. Vertical rods 37are fixedly supported in cabinet 10 so that they lie along the outsidesof the supports on the downward travel sides thereof to hold the same inthe supporting position illustrated in the fragmentary perspective view,FIG. 8. On the return upward travel the supports are held inwardly bythe walls of the cabinet as shown in FIG. 6 whereby the chain andsupport structure occupies a minimum of lateral space at each side ofthe tier of packages.

An electric operating motor is provided for the set of chain andsprocket mechanisms 30 of each storage unit, the sprocket mechanisms 30at each side of the unit being connected for synchronous movement as bymeans of a cross shaft and miter gears (not shown). The severaloperating motors for the inverter, the mechanism for moving packages toand from the inverter, the motor 40, and others may all be under thecommon control of a conventional rotary limit switch having cams set tostart and stop the various motors at proper points in the operatingcycle of the apparatus.

Each operating period of motor 40 operates the chain and sprocketmechanisms of a unit through a suflicient distance to lower all of thepackages supported thereby a distance equal to the vertical pitch of thesupports 35 whereby each pair of supports 35 is successively lowered toa position wherein the packages 20 carried thereby reach the levelindicated at A in FIG. 3.

At this point or whenever thereafter a food package is to be dispensed,means become operative for shifting the packages at the level indicatedat A in FIG. 3 to the left, as there shown, to move one of the packages20 on to a support plate 44 of the inverting mechanism which willpresently be described. Referring to FIG. 3, a pair of laterally spacedsprockets 45 are disposed beneath the packages at the level A and areoperated by means of a drive motor 46 which is connected to sprockets 45by a chain and sprocket drive 47 shown in FIG. 2.

Lengths of chain 48 pass over sprockets 45 and extend into rectangulartubes 49, one of which is shown enlarged in FIG. 9. Tubes 49 guidechains 48 horizontally and are longitudinally slotted so that one of thepins of each chain may extend laterally therethrough to receive a feeddog or pusher member-50. Motor 46 or erates a predetermined period inone direction to move the pushers 50 to the left from the position shownin FIG. 3 onto support plate 44 and then reverses to retract pushers 50to the position shown in FIG. 3.

Reference will now be had to the mechanism and means for handlingpackages 20 after they pass on to the support plates 44 in the invertingzones 16. The general support for the inverting device comprises ahollow beam member which is best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, which has apair of trunnions 61 at its opposite ends which are journaled inbearings 62 which are fixed to opposite side walls of each inversionzone 16. Support plate 44 is fixed to beam member 60 by a connection 63which includes an electric vibrator acting between beam member 60 andsupport plate 44 and spaced substantially thereabove is a platen member65 which overlies packages 20 which have moved onto supports 44.

Each platen 65 is provided with fluid pressure motor means for movingthe same selectively toward and away from support plate 44. As shown inFIG. 7, a diaphragm type fluid pressure motor casing 67 is fixed toplaten 65 and has a diaphragm 72, the central portion of which is fixedto the end of a post secured to beam member 60. In FIG. 7 platen 65 isshown in raised position wherein extension springs 76 acting betweenplaten 65 and beam 60 urge the platen upwardly.

Applying air pressure to motor casing 67 at the lower side of diaphragm72, as viewed in FIG. 7, expands the space beneath the diaphragm andforces platen 65 downwardly, the motor casing being slidable on post 75,and a package 20 is thus clamped between support plate 44 and platen 65.

At this point a motor (not shown) located in the upper end of thecabinet and operating through a sprocket 80 fixed to one of thetrunnions 61 rotates the beam member 60 through to invert package 20 sothat the serving plate member 24 thereof is then in its normal positionof use and the contents of the containers 22 and 23 are automaticallydeposited upon plate 24.

During and immediately following this inversion a vigorous vibrationaction is imparted to the package by the vibrator-connection 63 andparticularly to the container 21 to vibrate the latter and thus morecompletely empty the same on to plate 24 and also agitate the liquid orsemi-liquid components to mix the same.

Following this 180 inversion movement, the air pressure is releasedwhereby, as shown particularly in FIG. 4, the platen 65 moves downwardlyunder the action of spring 76 and the plate 24 is lowered until platen65 is substantially in alignment with a receiving surface 82 in thedelivery space 17. During this movement the inverted container 21 isheld in raised position by reason of the engagement of the flanges 25thereof with ledges 84 at the interior end walls of beam 60, such ledgesbeing shown in FIG. 7. It is to be understood that at this phase of theoperation the beam 60 isv inverted from the position shown in FIG. 7.The plate 24 is now fully ready for dispensing and serving and means areprovided for moving the same onto the receiving surface 82 of thedelivery space 17.

FIG. 4 illustrates the mechanism which is operative to push a plate 24from the full line position on platen 65, upon which it rests afterinversion of a package 20, outwardly into the delivery space 17. Asshown in FIG. 4, the delivery space 17 is preferably provided with aglass cover portion 85 so that the presence of a serving plate thereinmay be readily observed and a door member 86 may be raised to remove theplate 24 containing food servings.

In FIGS. 4 and 6 the numeral 90 designates a rectangular tube which isdisposed centrally of the unit as viewed in FIG. 6 and a chain 91 isguided therein. Chain 91 passes over a sprocket 92 which is driven froman adjacent sprocket 93 (see FIG. 6) which has chain drive connectionwith a drive motor 95 as at 96 in FIG. 4. A bracket 97 extendingupwardly from chain 91 through a slot in tube 90 operates a pushrod 98the other end of which has a cross-shaft yoke 99 for attachment .to apair of laterally spaced pushers 100.

Since the interior of the cabinet generally may be at a temperaturesubstantially higher or lower than room temperature for maintainingfoods in heated or cooled condition, and also to prevent tampering andpilfering, a closure is provided between the dispensing zone 16 of eachunit and the delivery space 17 thereof, such closure being automaticallyopened only during the period when a serving plate 24 is being pushedfrom a platen 65 in the inversion zone to the delivery space 17. Themeans for controlling door movements is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 towhich reference will now be had.

The portion of the cabinet front wall structure between the inversionzone 16 and the delivery space 17 of each unit is provided with avertical slida-ble door 105. A plate member 106 normally lies directlyabove door 105 to prevent raising movement thereof. Door 105 is providedwith a flange 107 and a link 108 is pivoted at its opposite ends toflange 107 and to an arm 109. Arm 109 is pivoted to the cabinet as at110 and at its outer end has pivoted play connection with a bell crank112 which is pivoted to the cabinet as at 113.

Door lock plate 106 includes a flange 114 pivoted to the front wall ofthe apparatus as at 115. A link 116 is pivotally connected at itsopposite ends to flange 114 and to arm 109 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Anoperating rod 120 is pivoted as at 121 to bell crank 112 and comprisesthe piston rod of an air pressure operating cylinder 123. A solenoidvalve 124 which controls cylinder 123 is connected with the rotary limitswitch unit described previously herein.

From the beginning position shown in FIG. 3 counterclockwise rotation ofbell crank 112 raises the links 108 and 116. This swings lock plate 106rearwardly from its locking position and raises door 105.

After the plate on platen 65 has been transferred to the delivery space17 by pushers 100 and with the platen 65 and support 44 still in thevertically separated condition illustrated in FIG. 4, the beam member 60and platen 65 and support 44 are rotated through another one-halfrevolution to restore the inverting mechanism to the initial positionillustrated in FIG. 3.

During this half revolution and when the support 44 has movedapproximately 45 or slightly more, the container 21 which has thus farbeen retained by ledges 84, falls through a receiving opening 128. Theflanges 25 of the container 21 slide downwardly off of the ledges 84enabling the container 21 to fall clear.

A sliding door 130 normally closes opening 128, as shown in FIG. 3, andis yieldably held in closed position by an extension coil spring 131. Achain element 132 connects between the left hand of door 130, as viewedin FIG. 3, and the extreme right-hand portion of hell crank 112.Accordingly, counterclockwise movement of bell crank 112 to open doorlikewise moves door to the open position illustrated in FIG. 4. Door 130again closes after a plate 24 has been pushed into the delivery zone andthe container 21 associated therewith has fallen through opening 128 tothe receiving bag shown at 135 in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 4, when a plate 24 ready to serve is in the deliverycompartment 17, door 86 is swung outwardly by a patron or server bypivotal movement on pivots 135. A latch 136 normally prevents openingpivotal movement of door 86 and is adapted to be raised by anelectromagnet 137 upon closure of door 105 after delivery of a plate tocompartment 17 A torsion spring 138 which is engaged by an arm 139 fixedto door 86 cushions the closing movement of door 86. When door 86 isopened to remove a plate another dispensing, inverting and deliverycycle cannot be started until a microswitch 141 is closed by arm 139upon re-closing of door 86.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 5, the means for replenishing the rear tierof packages 20 when the same is depleted will now be described. As shownin FIG. 5, four vertical shafts are provided with sprockets at theirupper and lower ends which engage chains 142. Arms 143 are fixed to theupper and lower chains and vertical rods 144 extend between the outerends of the upper and lower arms 143.

A reversible electric motor 146 (FIG. 2) operates to rotate the shafts140 and move the arms 143 from the full line position of FIG. 5 to thedot and dash line position to move a stack of packages from the ledges148 of the front tier to the supporting angles 35 of the rear tier. Aphotoelectric relay 150 (FIG. 3) is disposed centrally beneath the rearstack and an illuminating device 151 (FIG. 2) actuates the relay whenthe last package 20 is moved to the inverting mechanism. This energizesmotor 146 to effect transfer of the front stack to the rear. A manualpushbutton switch may be provided whereby an operator, just prior toreplenishing the front stack through door 18, may reverse the chains 142to restore the arms 143 and rods 144 to their initial position.

In certain adaptations the service plate-cover may be sealed to thecontainer in a manner which requires a more positive separation afterinversion. FIG. 10 illustrates a modified inverter and packageconstruction for this purpose. FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational viewtaken similarly to FIG. 7 but in an inverted position. In FIG. 10 thecontainer is designated 155, the service plate 156, the rotating beam157, a trunnion 158, support plate 159 and platen member 160. All ofthese elements are the same as the corresponding members of theprincipal embodiment with the following modifications. Also, ledges 161at opposite ends of beam 157 correspond to the ledges 84 of the previousembodiment.

Various means may be employed for sealing the container and serviceplate. For instance, the rim portion 162 of container may have a pressfit in service plate 156 or a projection as at 163 on the flange 164 ofcontainer 155 may fit into the upper end of service plate 156. Manyother sealing provisions may be employed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10 platen member has pivoted latch members 168at opposite sides thereof which are urged to the position shown in FIG.10 by springs 169 and service plate 156 has projections 170 at oppositesides thereof. Accordingly, during the clamping operation, before thebeam 157 has been rotated to the position shown in FIG. 10 and with thesealed package resting on support plate 159, the downward clampingmovement of platen member 160 engages latch member 168 with projections170 as shown in FIG. 10.

Thus, when the beam 157 is inverted and platen member 160 is lowered thecontainer 155 is held in raised position by flanges 161 and the serviceplate 156 is pulled forcibly downwardly from the container by reason ofthe latch engagement, releasing whatever sealing device or arrangementmay be employed between the container and service plate.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling food packages each comprising a food containerand an overlying inverted service dish acting as a cover for thecontainer, said apparatus comprising a support surface adapted toreceive a food package thereon and a generally horizontal platen memberoverlying the same, means for moving said support surface and saidplaten member toward each other to clamp a package therebetween, meansfor rotating said support surface and platen member jointlyapproximately 180 about a horizontal axis to invert said package andtransfer the contents of said container to said service dish, means :formoving said support surface and platen member apart, means for retainingsaid container in raised position adjacent to said support surfacewhereby said container and service dish are separated and said serviceplate remains on said platen member ready for delivery, and rotatingmeans being operative upon delivery of said service plate from saidplaten member to rotate said support surface and platen member toinitial position, said container being adapted to slide downwardly onsaid retaining means from between said support surface and platen memberduring such return rotation to thereby discharge the container.

2. Apparatus for handling food packages each comprising a food containerand an overlying inverted service dish acting as a cover for thecontainer, said apparatus comprising a support surface adapted toreceive a food package thereon and a generally horizontal platen memberoverlying the same, means :for moving said support surface and saidplaten member toward each other to clamp a package therebetween, meansfor rotating said support surface and platen member jointlyapproximately about a horizontal axis to invert said package andtransfer the contents of said container to said service dish, means forvibrating said platen member to facilitate such transfer, means formoving said support surface and platen member apart, means for retainingsaid container in raised position adjacent to said support surfacewhereby said coniainer and service dish are separated and said serviceplate remains on said platen member ready for delivery, and rotatingmeans being operative upon delivery of said service plate from saidplaten member to rotate said support surface and platen member toinitial position, said container being adapted to slide downwardly onsaid retaining means from between said support surface and platen memberduring such return rotation to thereby discharge the container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,163 9/1934Davis 214-53 2,570,717 10/1951 Ronceray 2143l2 X 2,838,184 6/1958MacCuroy.

3,071,258 1/1963 Seigh et al.

3,089,598 5/1963 Temple.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,189,005 9/ 1959 France.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

A. GRANT, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FOOD PACKAGES EACH COMPRISING A FOOD CONTAINERAND AN OVERLYING INVERTED SERVICE DISH ACTING AS A COVER FOR THECONTAINER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A SUPPORT SURFACE ADAPTED TORECEIVE A FOOD PACKAGE THEREON AND A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLATEN MEMBEROVERLYING THE SAME, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AND SAIDPLATEN MEMBER TOWARD EACH OTHER TO CLAMP A PACKAGE THEREBETWEEN, MEANSFOR ROTATING SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AND PLATEN MEMBER JOINTLYAPPROXIMATELY 180* ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS TO INVERT SAID PACKAGE ANDTRANSFER THE CONTENTS OF SAID CONTAINER TO SAID SERVICE DISH, MEANS FORMOVING SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AND PLATEN MEMBER APART, MEANS FOR RETAININGSAID CONTAINER IN RAISED POSITION ADJACENT TO SAID SUPPORT SURFACEWHEREBY SAID CONTAINER AND SERVICE DISH ARE SEPARATED AND SAID SERVICEPLATE REMAINS ON SAID PLATEN MEMBER READY FOR DELIVERY, AND ROTATINGMEANS BEING OPERATIVE UPON DELIVERY OF SAID SERVICE PLATE FROM SAIDPLATEN MEMBER TO ROTATE SAID SUPPORT SURFACE